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Kirjeldus

R.D. on lühend väljendist “récemment dégorgé” (recently disgorged), mis omakorda tähendab “hiljuti settest vabastatud”, see on unikaalne vein, millel ei ole tänapäeval Champagne’s võrdväärset. R.D. on ennekõike sama segu, mis Grande Année, tema unikaalsus aga peitub tunduvalt pikemaajalisemas pärmisettel küpsemises – ja nagu nimigi ütleb – hiljutises settest vabastamises.

Esmakordselt esitles Madame Bollinger R.D.’d 1967. aastal kui ta tõi turule esimese 1952. aastakäigu. Pärast aastatepikkust uurimistööd loodud meistriteos väljendas endas Bollingeri originaalset stiili ja erakordset kvaliteeti. Vaatamata oma auväärsele vanusele on R.D. “hiljuti settest vabastatud”, mis garanteerib märkimisväärse värskuse, elavuse ja aromaatsuse. Pärmisette eemaldamise aeg on märgitud pudeli esisildile.

Vein on valmistatud 71% Pinot Noir ja 29% Chardonnay viinamarjade kompositsioonina, mis pärinevad 18st erinevast “cru” viinamarjaaiast, millest omakorda 91% “grand cru” ja 9% “premiers cru” aedadest. Pinot Noir pärinevad põhiliselt Aÿ ja Verzenay külast, Chardonnay aga Le Mesnil-sur-Oger ja Cramant külakeste ümbrusest. Esmane käärimisprotsess toimub 205, 225 ja 410 liitri suurustes 50 aasta vanustes tammevaatides, vältides tugevate tammenüansside ja tanniinide omandamist. Kõik viinamarjasordid, eri viinamarjaaiad ja sageli ka aedade erinevad osad  kääritatakse eraldi.

Veini küpsemisperiood pärmisettel pudelis kestis veinikeldrites 13 aastat. Küpsemisperioodil on pudelid kinnitatud ajutiste “seenkorkidega”, mis tagab parema kaitse oksüdatsiooni vastu kui metallist “kroonkorgid”. Antud meetod on piirkonnas ebatavaline, kuid aitab paremini hoida veini aroomi ja maitsete puhtust. Pärast dégorgé’d lisatakse veinile dosage, mis R.D. puhul oli vaid 3 grammi liitri kohta. Dégorgé’le järgneb veini villimine, mil pudelid varustatakse püsivate “seenkorkidega” ja traatvõrestikuga. Seejärel küpseb vein veel 3 kuud pudelis enne väljastamist.

Värvuselt intensiivne sädelev kuldkollane. Aroom on väga kompleksne, eristuvad delikaatne mesi ja brioche, aroomi avanedes lisanduvad vürtsid nagu ingver ja köömen, samuti tunda Mirabelle ploomi, kuivatatud aprikoosi ja sarapuupähklit. Maitse on elav ja väga puhas, kollane ploom, kreeka pähkel, aniis, ilusa värskusega ja suurepärase maitsetesügavusega. Toitudest sobib hästi roogadega, kus on kasutatud safranit, näiteks küpsetatud homaar koos safraniga maitsestatud vinegretiga, praetud paltusefilee kaetud safraniga maitsestatud koorikuga, Bresse’i kana safrani-ingveri kastmes. Soovitatav serveerimistemperatuur on 8 – 10 kraadi.

James Suckling 99 p
Wine Advocate 98+ p
Jeb Dunnuck 98 p
Decanter 97 p
Antonio Galloni 96 p

“Amazing aromas of sweet uncooked pie crust with almonds. Then you smell dried apples, apricots and pineapple. Grilled fruits, too. Full-bodied. So tangy and energetic with sizzling acidity and creamy tannins. Flavorful and lightly oxidized at the finish. Smacking my lips. Agile. Ginger and spices. A touch of bitter complexity with some salinity. Extreme character that grabs your attention. 13 years and six months aging on the lees with cork. 3 grams dosage. 71% pinot noir and 29% chardonnay. Don’t serve too cold. Drink or hold.” James Suckling 99 points

“When I was tasting Bollinger’s brilliant Grande Année in this vintage, I was trying to imagine how good the 2008 Extra-Brut R. D. would be, as the style of the vintage seems almost perfectly adapted to this cuvée. Four years later, we have the answer, and the wine is brilliant. Disgorged in 2022, it’s more reserved out of the gates than the dramatic Grande Année was on release, unwinding in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit, orange peel, freshly baked bread, subtle hints of fino sherry, wet stones and macadamia nut. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, with a deep core of fruit that’s animated by racy acids and a refined pinpoint mousse, concluding with a bone-dry finish. Extremely harmonious and full of youthful energy, it’s the finest R. D. of the decade and one that will richly reward a bit of additional age on cork. In style, the most obvious comparison is with the 1996, but the 2008 is more integrated and harmonious on release. These bottles were disgorged late last year with three grams per liter dosage. Drink 2025 – 2045.” Wine Advocate 98+ points

“The 2008 Champagne R.D. Extra Brut is chiseled, powerful, and packaged with a chalky mineral texture. Made from 70% Pinot Noir and the rest Chardonnay, with 3 grams per liter dosage, it pours a bright straw yellow hue, while its aromatics are more mineral-tinged and feel a touch more noble and upright in character. Aromatically, it opens to notes of toasted almond, preserved Meyer lemon, brothy saline, and vibrant fresh fruit. Displaying tension and grace, it has the richness of Bollinger but is more upright, with an electric mineral energy that courses through the finish, which lasts for days. Mouthwatering and long, it’s a stunner. It needs more time to harmonize all its components, but this is a wine to cellar for the ages, and I think this is going to be a vintage of RD we talk about for a very, very long time. Cellar it if you can and drink 2026-2056.” Jeb Dunnuck 98 points

“Bright in colour with gold reflections, the aromatics are immediately captivating, with marzipan, acacia, apricot and patisserie all vying for attention. It’s impossibly youthful yet reassuringly mature, a bread basket of delicious contradiction. Cerebral seduction ensues on the palate, with dried fruits, bergamot and lime joining the party, then come the hazelnut notes – which have been identified as a leitmotif for the vintage – and a clean, almost chalky finish to restore rigorous harmony. Precision in no way undermines generosity, and generosity in no way undermines potential. A very fine piece of work all in all, tasted from magnum, alongside bottle and jeroboam.” Decanter 97 points

“Bollinger’s 2008 R.D. is a powerful, vinous Champagne. Apricot, dried pear, tangerine oil, hazelnut, dried flowers, chamomile and brioche all race across the palate. The 2008 boasts notable depth and textural intensity, with a feeling of phenolic, almost tannin-driven grip from the Pinot that propels the finish. At times the R.D. is quite exotic, even if there is a good kick of energy from the bright, salivating acids and low dosage. The 2008 R.D. is very much a Champagne for the dinner table, a wine that benefits immensely from aeration. In 2008, the blend comprises fruit from 18 villages, 71% Pinot Noir, mostly from Aÿ and Verzenay and 29% Chardonnay, mostly from Mesnil-sur-Oger and Cramant. Dosage is 3 grams of dosage. I would give this a few more years in bottle to fully come together. Disgorged: October 28, 2022. Drink 2025-2043.” Antonio Galloni Vinous 96 points